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'Big Hero 6': A cross-cultural charmer

So much is worth liking about Big Hero 6. In particular the lead characters,especially the big lovable Baymax and the gorgeously inventive production design and East-West look of this latest animated Disney offering

The most endearing character in Disney's animated superhero animated movie is a one-man Affordable Care Act.

(Make that a one-robot ACA.)

Baymax, the irresistible blobby hero in Big Hero 6 (*** out of four; rated PG; opens Friday nationwide), was created by a brainy college student to optimize his cuddly qualities with his prodigious health-care assessment skills. On top of providing spot-on diagnoses, the benevolent 'bot in the inflatable suit is flat-out lovable.

It's hard not to love the movie he stars in, too. With its appealing array of nerdy characters, inventive architecture and striking cross-cultural production design, Hero is a vibrant romp.

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A young boy and a plus-sized inflatable robot develop a special bond in 'Big Hero 6.' The pair team up with a group of friends to form a band of high-tech heroes.

A Disney film based on a Marvel comic, Hero strikes just the right notes for a kid-friendly superhero adventure, emphasizing brains over brawn and helping people over hurting them.

The story takes place in a futuristic urban mash-up called San Fransokyo, an East-West blend where Victorian row houses share space on hilly streets with cherry blossoms, and the Golden Gate Bridge has Shinto shrine flourishes.

Fourteen-year-old robotics whiz Hiro Hamada (voiced by Ryan Potter) is a quintessential denizen of this heterogeneous city. A prodigy who graduated from high school at 13, he's been using his smarts to build micro-bots, then gambling on them to win battles in back-alley competitions. Orphaned at 3, Hiro lives with his big brother Tadashi (Daniel Henney) and their loving but clueless Aunt Cass(Maya Rudolph).

Tadashi attends an MIT-style college where he has been perfecting his health-care companion invention, aka Baymax. Hiro is dazzled by a glimpse of the lab his brother shares with gung-ho fellow students including engineering genius Go Go (Jamie Chung), laser specialist Wasabi (Damon Wayans Jr.), chemical expert Honey Lemon (Genesis Rodriguez) and fanboy/dropout Fred (T.J. Miller).

Once Hiro sees their mega-cool projects, he desperately wants in. As part of his application for admission, Hiro creates an elaborate system of magnetized robots, which later falls into fiendish hands.

A devastating turn of events propels Hiro to seek comfort from the sweet-natured, pot-bellied Baymax (Scott Adsit). Equal parts naïve and perceptive, Baymax is also a world-class hugger.

The bond between Hiro and Baymax is the heart of the film, as the robot becomes a warm-hearted surrogate parent figure to the orphaned boy genius. The overblown size and shape of Baymax is fodder for jokes galore, as are his uncool efforts at a fist bump. When his batteries are low, he hilariously stumbles and slurs as if he's drunk.

As they race around San Fransokyo, the city's beautifully rendered blend of cultures is nothing short of enchanting, recalling the work of Japanese master animator Hayao Miyazaki.

The best scenes are the comical interactions between Hiro and Baymax, and the poignant moments when Hiro grapples with grief.

With Guardians of the Galaxy and now Big Hero 6, it's been a banner year for fresh Marvel Comics superhero sagas. Like Guardians' leafy gentle giant Groot, the kindly Baymax looms large as a winner for kids and adults alike.